Power driven hair clipper



Jan. 13, 1959 E. w. GROVES 7, 2 7

POWER DRIVEN HAIR CLIPPER 2 Shets-Sheet 1- Filed April 8, 1958 //IIIIIIIIIllIIlIlI/lllllllllllW //f////////////////////////////////// q \)I I INVENTOR.

ERMY W. GROVES BY CORBETT- MAHONE Y;MILLER L RAMBO States POWER DRIVEN HAIR CLHPPER Ermy W. Groves, Athens, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Wade Tom, Athens, Ohio My invention relates to a power driven hair clipper. It has to do, more particularly, with a power driven hair clipper which is so designed and constructed that professional skill is not required to use it with the result that it can be efiectively used by an amateur.

At the present time, power actuated hair clippers can only be used by a skilled barber since it is very easy, if not properly manipulated, to gouge out large chunks of hair rather than to gradually taper the hair. This is due mainly to the fact that present clippers are designed with a guard or comb having a superimposed oscillating blade, the guard or comb being very sharp and it being necessary to use upward strokes with the clippers while pulling the ends of the hair away from the head, usually with another comb, to gradually taper the hair. With this type of clipper, a very good haircut can be obtained provided the manipulator of the clipper is skilled in these manipulations. For the inexperienced, however, as indicated above, a poor and unsightly haircut usually results.

According to my invention, I provide a hair clipper which is so designed and constructed that it can be used by an amateur to obtain a neat, professional-appearing haircut. With my clippers, it is only necessary to use simple strokes with the clippers bearing against the hair. The clipper head is so designed that the depth of cut will be automatically determined merely by having it bear against the persons hair and there will be no danger of gouging out large sections of the hair.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention and in these drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a power-actuated hair clipper embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the head of the clipper.

Figure 3 is an inside view of the removed comb section and associated oscillatable cutter of the clipper head.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the complete head of the clipper.

Figure 5 is a view showing the clipper in use bearing against the head of a person.

Figure 6 is a view at the top of the clipper head in use as in Figure 5 showing how the clipper head acts to automatically gauge the depth of cut.

With reference to the drawings, I have illustrated my invention as being associated with a hair clipper which comprises the usual motor and handle structure 10. However, the head structure indicated generally by the numeral 11 is designed and constructed in accordance with my invention.

The main principle involved in the construction of this head is to provide a flat bearing surface or face 12 which extends transversely for the entire width of the clipper and is of substantial distance from leading edge to trailing edge of the face, and which has laterally spaced cutting slots of substantial depth extending from atent ice comb member 14, and the intermediate oscillatable cutter member 15. All of these members are provided with the blunt outer surfaces or faces 13a, 14a, and 15a, respectively, which cooperate to provide the large bearing face 12. Each of these members 13, 14, and 15 is provided with combing and cutting grooves, indicated generally by the numeral 16, which extend inwardly into each member a substantial depth as illustrated best in Figure 2. When the clipper is not operating, the grooves in these various members will align with each other and there will be grooves extending from the leading edge of the face 12 to the trailing edge and these grooves will be of substantial depth in a direction perpendicular to the outer bearing surface or face 12.

The comb member 13, as indicated in Figure l, is mounted on the handle 10 by means of a screw 17 so that it is normally in fixed position. The comb member 14- is more readily removable, being carried by a lug 18 which is hinged at 19, the lug slidably fitting into a socket member 20 in the member 14. The oscillatable cutter 21 is carried by a guide 22a on the inner flat surface of the member 14 and can be slipped out transversely for replacement. The cutter 21 is oscillated by means of a finger 22 which engages a socket 23 at the rear side thereof, the finger 22 being oscillated in the usual manner by the motor 10.

With the head structure 11 assembled as indicated in Figures 1, 2, and 4, it is simple to use the hair clipper as indicated in Figures 5 and 6. To use it, it is merely necessary to press the bearing face 12 against the hair and to use simple downward strokes, as indicated in Figure 5. As indicated in Figure 6, the hair will work into the cutting grooves 16 of the face 12 and will extend longitudinally therethrough from leading edge to trailing edge of the clipper head. The cutting action will result from the oscillating movement of the cutter 15 relative to the fixed comb members 13 and 14. The depth of cut will be determined by the pressure of the face 12 of the cutter head 11 against the hair, the maximum' depth being limited by the depth of the grooves 16.

Thus, this clipper can be used to cut hair by a different method and principle than is now used when standard hair clippers are employed. The hair clippers now in use require the technique of cutting from the skin outward and up against the natural pressure of the hair which tends to keep it flat. On the other hand, the clipper of my invention is designed to work in an opposite direction, the large bearing face bearing against the hair and being moved downward in the direction of lay of the hair in cutting downward towards the skin. With my clipper, the process is a gradual planing off of the outer layers of the hair, the depth of out being de' termined by the amount of pressure. The large area bearing surface makes it impossible to cut deeper into the hair than the depth of the cutting grooves regardless of the pressure. This bearing surface, furthermore, is disposed at an acute angle relative to the axis of the handle, as indicated in Figure 5. This will facilitate manipulation of the clipper as indicated in Figure 5. Thus, the hair clipper of my invention can be manipulated by an amateur to obtain a professional-looking haircut.

According to the provision of the patent statutes, the principles of this invention have been explained and Patented Jan. 13, 1959 have been illustrated. anddescribedv in..,What is now, considered to represent the best embodiment. However, it is to be understood" that, within the scope of the appended claims; theii inventi'ommay' be practiced which cooperate toprovidegrooves extendingfrom the: leading to' the trailing edge of'the head .for receiving. the hair whenthe bearing...surfaceof the.cutting.-'-head bears againstthehair on .apersons head with thehair extending longitudinally therethrough; .said cutting mem bers comprising two :fiXed vcomb members-withan oscillatable. cutting memben' disposed therebetween, all. of said cutting-members havingth'e blunt outer surfaces which cooperate -to;form; the flat bearing surface; all of said members havingnthc cuttinggrooves formedtherein which extend from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the cutting head.

2. A hair clipper according to claim 1 in which the cutting head is carried by a handle structure, the flat bearing surface thereof being disposed at an acute angle relative to the axis of the handle.

3. A hair clipper according-to claim 1 in which the flat bearing surface extends the complete width of the cutting head and is of an extent from the leading edge to the trailing edge which is at least one-third the width of said bearing surface.

References Cited in .the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sweden Dec. 17, 1914' 

